January brings more than just new beginnings—it ushers in National Hot Tea Month, a month-long celebration dedicated to the world's most beloved warm beverage. As winter settles in across the country, there's no better time to wrap your hands around a steaming mug of tea sweetened with artisanal honey and explore the countless varieties, brewing methods, and traditions that make tea such a cherished comfort during the coldest month of the year.
These Chai Tea Cookies are perfect for pairing with hot tea
The Story Behind National Hot Tea Month
Established by the Tea Council of the USA in 1950, National Hot Tea Month honors tea's rich cultural significance and longstanding tradition as the second most consumed beverage in the world after water. While National Hot Tea Day falls specifically on January 12th, the entire month provides an opportunity for tea enthusiasts to explore new flavors, perfect their brewing techniques, and share the warmth of tea with friends and family.
Tea's legendary origins trace back nearly 5,000 years to ancient China. According to folklore, Chinese Emperor Shen Nong discovered tea by accident in 2737 BC when tea leaves blew into his pot of boiling water. As a renowned herbalist, the emperor decided to taste the unexpected infusion—and the rest is history. From those serendipitous beginnings, tea has become woven into cultures worldwide, from England's afternoon tea tradition to Japan's ceremonial matcha rituals.
Why Tea and Honey Make the Perfect Winter Pairing
While tea delights on its own, adding raw honey transforms each cup into something extraordinary. The natural sweetness of honey complements tea's diverse flavor profiles without overpowering the delicate notes that make each variety unique. During winter months, a spoonful of honey stirred into hot tea creates a soothing, comforting experience that warms you from the inside out.
Raw, minimally filtered honey brings more to your tea than just sweetness. Unlike processed sugars, raw honey retains trace minerals and complex flavor nuances that vary depending on which flowers the bees visited. A floral Spring Honey enhances chamomile and herbal blends, while the rich complexity of Wildflower Honey pairs beautifully with robust black teas. For citrus-forward teas like Earl Grey, the subtle citrus notes in Orange Blossom Honey create a harmonious flavor experience.
How to Celebrate National Hot Tea Month: Explore Our Complete Tea Collection
January is the perfect month to venture beyond your usual tea selections. Our artisanal loose-leaf tea collection features fifteen distinct blends, each offering unique characteristics worth discovering during National Hot Tea Month.
Morning Energy Teas
Start your day with teas designed to energize and awaken. Good Morning Tea features a comforting black tea blend with rosehips, dried raspberry, and cornflower petals enhanced with organic natural flavor—perfect for those who need a gentle caffeine boost to begin their day. For a bolder morning experience, try Sunrise Assam Tea, which combines robust Kondoli Assam black tea with dried cranberries, orange peel, and hibiscus balanced with smooth rooibos. The complex citrus notes and bright color make it an ideal way to greet the January sunrise.
Classic Black Tea Elegance
Raven Tea remains our signature Earl Grey blend, featuring robust black tea enriched with organic lavender buds and natural bergamot oil. The sophisticated flavor profile combines floral notes with citrus brightness for a classic yet elevated experience that honors centuries of tea tradition. This elegant blend pairs beautifully with Orange Blossom Honey for enhanced citrus notes.
Naturally Sweet Caffeine-Free Options
For those avoiding caffeine, Bee's Knees Honeybush Tea delivers rich notes of molasses, nuts, and honey without requiring additional sweeteners—though a drizzle of Wildflower Honey adds another layer of depth. This South African treasure offers a naturally sweet, satisfying cup perfect for any time of day.
Place in the Sun Honeybush Fruit Tea combines honeybush with vibrant fruit elements for a bright, sunny cup that brings warmth to the darkest January days. The fruity notes pair wonderfully with Blueberry Honey or Raspberry Honey.
Vibrant Fruit and Berry Blends
Midnight Berry Tea blends hibiscus, mixed berries, and rooibos for a naturally sweet, caffeine-free infusion perfect for evening enjoyment. The deep ruby color and fruity aroma make it as beautiful to look at as it is delicious to drink. Try pairing this with our berry honeys from the Berry Delicious Tea & Honey Trio for an intensely fruity experience.
For a truly unique visual experience, Blue Butterfly Pea Flower Tea brews into a stunning natural blue color that transforms to vibrant purple when you add lemon. This caffeine-free tea provides a smooth, earthy taste while creating an Instagram-worthy cup that never fails to impress guests.
Beauty and Wellness Teas
Beautea Ginger Turmeric Tea features a colorful blend of ginger, turmeric root, dried carrot, beet, and pineapple with sunny calendula petals. With low caffeine content, this blend offers a mild energy boost without the intensity of coffee while creating a beautiful golden cup. The warming spices pair perfectly with Tupelo Honey for a luxurious treat.
Evening Relaxation Blends
Good Night Tea combines chamomile, linden flowers, spearmint, rose petals, and lavender buds for gentle evening relaxation. This caffeine-free herbal tea can be steeped with hot water for quick preparation or cold water for a more delicate extraction, perfect for winding down after a long winter day. Add a touch of Spring Honey for subtle floral sweetness that enhances the calming properties.
Seasonal and Specialty Blends
Cider & Spice Apple Cinnamon Tea captures autumn's warmth with cinnamon, apple fruit pieces, rooibos, and bright calendula petals. This seasonal favorite brings cozy comfort to January evenings, making you feel like you're sipping warm apple cider by the fireplace. Though it's an autumn blend, it's perfect for warming up during National Hot Tea Month.
For chocolate lovers, Haute Cocoa Chai Tea offers a decadent experience combining traditional chai spices with rich cocoa notes. This warming blend transforms your tea time into an indulgent moment, especially when paired with Coffee Honey—the caramel notes in this unique honey beautifully complement both the chocolate and chai spices for an incredibly rich, dessert-like experience.
Perfect Your Brewing Technique
The quality of your tea experience depends heavily on proper brewing. Different tea types require specific water temperatures and steeping times to unlock their full potential without developing bitterness.
For black teas like Raven Tea, Good Morning Tea, and Sunrise Tea, bring water to just below boiling (200-212°F) and steep for 3-5 minutes. The robust Assam varieties can handle the higher temperatures, extracting their full boldness and complexity.
Green teas prefer cooler water around 160-180°F with shorter steeping times of 2-3 minutes. Herbal infusions like Bee's Knees, Midnight Berry, Good Night, and Place in the Sun can handle boiling water and longer steeping times of 5-7 minutes to fully extract their flavors and aromatics. Beautea benefits from a full 5-minute steep to release the beneficial compounds from turmeric and ginger.
Always use fresh, filtered water when possible—water quality directly impacts tea's taste. If your tap water has a strong chlorine taste or mineral content, consider using filtered or spring water. Preheat your teapot or mug by rinsing with hot water before brewing, which helps maintain the proper temperature throughout steeping.
Create a Tea Tasting Experience
Transform ordinary tea time into an educational journey by hosting a tea tasting party featuring multiple blends from our collection. Our Tea and Honey Set provides everything needed for an impressive tasting experience, including Bee's Knees Tea, Raven Tea, honey in multiple formats, and a stainless steel tea ball for brewing.
For a more elaborate tasting, set up stations featuring different tea categories:
Morning Energizers Station: Good Morning Tea and Sunrise Assam Tea with Wildflower Honey and Sweet Clover Honey
Fruit Forward Station: Midnight Berry Tea, Place in the Sun Tea, and Blue Butterfly Tea with berry honeys
Evening Relaxation Station: Good Night Tea and Bee's Knees Tea with Spring Honey and Alfalfa Honey
Specialty Blends Station: Beautea, Haute Cocoa Chai, and Cider & Spice with Tupelo Honey and Coffee Honey
Set up your tasting with small cups for sampling, our Honey Sticks in various flavors for convenient portioning, and tasting notes for guests to record their impressions. Start with lighter teas and move toward more robust varieties, encouraging guests to taste each tea plain before adding honey to appreciate how different honey varietals transform the flavor.
For a berry-themed tasting adventure, our Berry Delicious Tea & Honey Trio pairs Beautea, Midnight Berry Tea, and Blue Butterfly Tea with Blackberry, Blueberry, and Raspberry honeys. Try Midnight Berry Tea with Raspberry Honey for bright fruit-forward notes, or experiment with unexpected combinations to discover your perfect match.
Gift Sets for Every Tea Lover
National Hot Tea Month is the perfect time to introduce friends and family to quality loose-leaf tea. Consider these specially curated options:
Tea for Two Tower - An elegant gift featuring multiple teas and honey varietals perfect for sharing
The Relaxation Tea Gift Set - Focused on evening relaxation with calming blends and complementary honey
The Mixologist's Tea Gift Set - For creative spirits who enjoy tea-based cocktails and mocktails
13 Tea Party Favors - Perfect for hosting a National Hot Tea Month celebration with guests
Cozy Up with Honey-Sweetened Tea Recipes
National Hot Tea Month is ideal for exploring warming tea recipes that showcase honey's versatility. The classic combination of tea, honey, and lemon creates a comforting beverage perfect for chilly January evenings. Simply brew your favorite black tea like Raven or Good Morning, stir in a generous spoonful of raw honey while the tea is hot, and finish with fresh lemon juice for a bright, soothing cup.
For something more substantial, try our Turmeric Tea recipe featuring ginger root, lemon, and honey—or use our Beautea blend for a ready-made version. This warming blend combines spicy ginger with vitamin-rich lemon and the smooth sweetness of honey for a drink that tastes as good as it makes you feel.
If you're feeling under the weather, reach for our Dr. Feelgood Tea recipe—a traditional combination of ginger, lemon, and honey that's been used for generations. Layer fresh ginger slices and lemon rounds in a jar, cover with raw honey, and let it sit in the refrigerator. When you need a comforting cup, simply spoon some of the mixture into hot water and stir.
For cold weather gatherings, brew a large pitcher of our Ginger Iced Tea—yes, it can be served hot! The recipe featuring Bee's Knees Honeybush Tea with fresh ginger and honey creates a spicy-sweet beverage that works beautifully whether served steaming or over ice.
Create a soothing Chamomile Lavender Tea using our Good Night Tea blend, which already contains both chamomile and lavender for ultimate relaxation. Add a spoonful of lavender infused honey if available, or use Spring Honey for floral notes.
For an impressive beverage that changes color, brew Blue Butterfly Tea and add fresh lemon juice to watch it transform from blue to purple. Sweeten with honey and serve to amazed guests during your National Hot Tea Month gathering.
Make Tea Part of Your Daily Ritual
One of the most meaningful ways to celebrate National Hot Tea Month is by establishing a daily tea ritual. Choose a specific time each day—perhaps mid-morning with Good Morning Tea for a mindful break, afternoon with Bee's Knees for sustained energy without jitters, or evening with Good Night Tea for winding down—and dedicate those moments to the simple act of brewing and savoring tea.
The ritual doesn't require elaborate preparations. Fill your kettle, measure your tea leaves, and breathe in the aromatic steam as it brews. While the tea steeps, step away from screens and to-do lists. When your timer signals readiness, add your favorite honey varietal and find a comfortable spot to sit. Cup the warm mug in your hands, inhale the fragrant steam, and take that first satisfying sip.
This daily practice transforms tea from a simple beverage into a moment of intentional pause in your busy day. During January's short days and long nights, these tea moments become anchors of warmth and comfort that make winter more bearable.
Share Tea with Friends and Family
Tea has always been about connection. In England, afternoon tea brings people together for conversation and community. In Morocco, mint tea is a gesture of hospitality. In China, tea ceremonies honor guests and mark important occasions.
This National Hot Tea Month, invite friends over for a casual tea gathering. Set out a selection of teas from our collection—perhaps the sophisticated Raven Tea, the naturally sweet Bee's Knees, the vibrant Midnight Berry, and the warming Haute Cocoa Chai. Provide several honey options and let guests experiment with flavor combinations. Our Honey Sticks make this easy—each stick contains exactly one teaspoon of pure honey in convenient, portable form. Offer varieties like Blackberry Blossom, Orange Blossom, and Wildflower so guests can discover how different honey flavors complement different teas.
If you can't gather in person, send a tea care package to someone you miss. A sampler of loose-leaf teas paired with artisanal honey and a handwritten note creates a thoughtful gift that says "I'm thinking of you" in the most comforting way possible. Check out our Gifts for Tea Lovers collection for inspiration.
The Art of Honey Selection for Tea
Not all honey tastes the same, and understanding how to pair honey varieties with different teas elevates your tea experience from ordinary to extraordinary. Here's a guide to matching honey with your favorite tea types based on our complete tea collection:
For Black Teas (Raven, Good Morning, Sunrise): The robust, malty notes of black tea pair beautifully with equally bold honeys. Our Wildflower Honey, with its complex flavor profile featuring notes of anise, cherry, and roasted nuts, complements Earl Grey and breakfast varieties without being overshadowed. Sweet Clover Honey brings bright, bold sweetness that stands up to the tannins in black tea.
For Honeybush Teas (Bee's Knees, Place in the Sun): These South African teas have naturally sweet, nutty flavors that pair well with medium-bodied honeys. Alfalfa Honey's mild sweetness lets the tea's inherent sweetness shine, while Tupelo Honey's buttery, fruity notes add luxurious depth.
For Herbal Infusions (Good Night, Midnight Berry, Blue Butterfly): Herbal teas like chamomile, rooibos, and fruit blends work well with a range of honey varieties. Mixed Berry Honey's sweet, fruity character complements chamomile beautifully while adding subtle berry notes. For fruity herbal blends like Midnight Berry and Place in the Sun, try Blueberry Honey or Raspberry Honey to enhance the berry notes, or stick with Mixed Berry Honey for a harmonious fruit-forward experience.
For Spiced Teas (Beautea, Haute Cocoa Chai, Cider & Spice): These warming blends with complex spice profiles pair beautifully with rich, aromatic honeys. Orange Blossom Honey adds citrus brightness to Beautea's turmeric and ginger, while Cranberry Honey brings tart-sweet notes to Cider & Spice. For Haute Cocoa Chai, Coffee Honey is the perfect match—its distinctive caramel notes create a luxurious pairing with the chocolate and chai spices that tastes like liquid dessert.
Experiment with our Seasonal Honey Tasting Trio to discover how honey changes throughout the year, from light and floral spring honey to rich and full-bodied autumn honey. Each season's honey reflects the flowers blooming during that time, creating distinct flavor profiles worth exploring with different teas.
Learn more about pairing honey with tea in our comprehensive guide: The Best Honey for Tea
Creating Your Tea and Honey Pantry
Building a well-stocked tea and honey pantry ensures you're always prepared for that perfect cup. Start with a foundation of versatile teas that work for any time of day:
- Morning energizer: Sunrise Assam Tea or Good Morning Tea for a caffeinated start
- Midday classic: Raven Tea for sophisticated afternoon enjoyment
- Afternoon refresh: Bee's Knees or Place in the Sun for gentle energy without jitters
- Creative moment: Beautea or Blue Butterfly Tea for something unique
- Evening unwind: Good Night Tea for relaxation before bed
- Cozy comfort: Cider & Spice or Haute Cocoa Chai for warming indulgence
- Any time fruity: Midnight Berry Tea for naturally sweet enjoyment
Complement your tea selection with honey in multiple formats for convenience:
- Jars of varietal honey for daily use and recipe incorporation
- Honey Sticks for on-the-go sweetening and portion control
- Honey Lollipops for slow-infusing sweetness that doubles as a stirrer
- Honey Tasting Tower for exploring flavor differences
Store your tea in airtight containers away from light, heat, and strong odors to preserve freshness. Glass jars work beautifully and let you see your tea collection at a glance. Keep your honey at room temperature in a cool, dry place—refrigeration isn't necessary and can accelerate crystallization.
Beyond the Cup: Cooking and Baking with Tea
National Hot Tea Month is also perfect for exploring tea's culinary applications beyond beverages. Tea leaves can infuse flavor into baked goods, marinades, and even savory dishes.
Try incorporating brewed Haute Cocoa Chai into chocolate baked goods for depth and spice. Steep Beautea in cream for panna cotta or ice cream base with golden color and warming spice notes. Grind dried Midnight Berry Tea leaves into a fine powder to add to cake batter for stunning color and subtle fruit flavor. Use Blue Butterfly Tea to create naturally colored frostings and glazes that change from blue to purple with acid.
Honey brings these tea-infused creations together. Use it to sweeten tea-infused syrups for cocktails and mocktails. Drizzle it over tea-poached pears or tea-infused shortbread. The possibilities expand exponentially when you combine two of nature's most versatile ingredients.
Explore our Top 10 Honey Pairing Ideas for more culinary inspiration
Wrapping Up Your National Hot Tea Month Celebration
As January draws to a close, reflect on the teas you've discovered, the honey pairings you've perfected, and the moments of warmth and comfort you've created. National Hot Tea Month reminds us that simple pleasures—a well-brewed cup, a spoonful of honey, a quiet moment—make winter's chill more bearable.
Don't let your tea exploration end when the calendar turns to February. Carry these cozy rituals forward throughout the year. Keep experimenting with new tea and honey combinations from our fifteen-blend collection. Share your favorite blends with friends. Make that daily tea moment non-negotiable.
Whether you're a lifelong tea enthusiast or just beginning to explore beyond basic tea bags, National Hot Tea Month provides the perfect excuse to dive deeper into the fascinating world of artisanal tea. With our carefully curated collection of loose-leaf varieties—from the morning energy of Sunrise Assam to the evening calm of Good Night Tea, from the fruity vibrancy of Midnight Berry to the sophisticated elegance of Raven—and pure, raw honey to sweeten each cup, every day of January becomes an opportunity to celebrate warmth, flavor, and comfort.
Ready to start your National Hot Tea Month journey? Browse our complete loose-leaf tea collection and discover your new favorite blend. Pair it with honey from our raw honey collection for the ultimate cozy January experience.
